1979 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1979 Stanley Cup Finals were played from May 13 to May 21, 1979 between the New York Rangers and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens, making their fourth straight appearance. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win their fourth straight Stanley Cup. As of 2008 this would be the last time that 2 teams of the Original Six would compete for the Stanley Cup championship.

Paths to the Final

Montreal defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–0 and the Boston Bruins 4–3 to advance to the finals. New York defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2–0, the Philadelphia Flyers 4–1 and the New York Islanders 4–2 to make it to the finals.

The series

The Canadiens won the Cup in five games, for the first time since 1968 winning it on home ice. After the game Jacques Lemaire, Yvan Cournoyer and Ken Dryden retired. Coach Scotty Bowman would leave the Canadiens to join the Buffalo Sabres.

New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens

"Montreal wins the series 4–1."

"Bob Gainey won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP."

Montreal Canadiens 1979 Stanley Cup champions

Stanley Cup champion|team=Montreal Canadiens |year=1973
centers=*6 Pierre Mondou
*8 Doug Risebrough
*21 Doug Jarvis
*25 Jacques Lemaire
*28 Pierre Larouche
defence=*3 Brian Engblom
*5 Guy Lapointe
*17 Rod Langway
*18 Serge Savard (acting Captain)†
*19 Larry Robinson
*24 Gilles Lupien
*27 Rick Chartraw
goaltenders=*1 Michel Bunny Larocque
*29 Ken Dryden
*33 Richard Sevigny(spare dressed in finals)††
wingers=*10 Guy Lafleur
*11 Yvon Lambert
*12 Yvan Cournoyer (Captain)
*14 Mario Tremblay
*15 Rejean Houle
*20 Cam Connor
*22 Steve Shutt
*23 Bob Gainey
*26 Dan Newman†††
*30 Pat Hughes
*31 Mark Napier
non-players=
*Jacques Courtois (President), Sam Pollock (Director)
*Irving Grundman (Vice President/General Manager), Jean Beliveau (Vice President)
*William Scotty Bowman (Head Coach), Claude Ruel (Director of Player Development)
*Al MacNeil (Director of Player Personnel), Morgan McCammon (Directors)
*Ron Caron (Ass’t General Manager), Eddie Palchak (Trainer)
*Pierre Meilluer (Ass't Trainer)
engraving-notes=
* †Yvan Cournoyer played only 18 regular season games. He missed the rest of the season due to a back injury. His name was still put on the cup, even though he did not qualify. Serge Savard served as captain while Cournoyer was injured.
* ††Richard Sevigny's name was engraved on the Stanley Cup, before he played his first NHL game. He was dressed in the finals when Michel Larocque was injured in pre-game warm-up for game two. Sevigny would join Montreal full-time, the next season after Ken Dryden retired.
* †††Dan Newman was played 16 regular season games, but did not qualify to on the cup. He was dressed for one playoff in the quater-finals, but did not play|

Members of Montreal Canadiens 1976 to 1979 dynasty

Rick Chartraw, Yvan Cournoyer, Ken Dryden, Bob Gainey, Doug Jarvis, Guy Lalfeur, Yvon Lambert, Guy Lapointe, Jacques Lemaire, Michel Laroque, Doug Risebrough, Mario Tremblay, Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, Steve Shutt (15 Players), Jacques Courtois, Sam Pollock, Jean Beliveau, Scotty Bowman, Claude Ruel, Eddie Palchak, Pierre Meilleur, Ron Caron (8 Non-Players)

ee also

* List of Stanley Cup champions
* 1978–79 NHL season

References

*
* Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books, 12, 50. ISBN 1–55168–261–3.